Synthpunk Sweethearts: Sex Crime

Sex Crime is seriously my new favorite band. They've got straight up rock n' roll sensibilities coupled with New Wave synth undertones, delivered at a breakneck speed, these sythpunk sweethearts are tops!

Watching this band perform a few months ago at The Redwood Pirate Bar downtown (which was a perfect backdrop to enjoy their nefarious ride), reminded me how fun going to see live music could be. Their shear enthusiasm was infectious and roused the crowd into a frenzy. Check out a song from their show here!

This is one Sex Crime you wont want to miss!

Julie Pavlowski Green
July 12, 2014

Julie Pavlowski Green: When did Sex Crime form?

Tim (drums/vocals): Over 900 days ago.

Cecilia (vocals/keyboards): We talked about doing this band forever before actually starting. We finally got our shit together in September 2012.

Holly (bass/vocals): When Ryan and Cecilia decided to ask me to join jerk forces with them....they were already rocking with Tim in Cecilia und Die Sauerkrauts so it was a couple of years before we actually started playing together but when we did I think we discovered something super stinky and tasty too!

JPG:  How did you find each other? 

T: We all volunteer at the same church, so it was inevitable that we would soon rock balls together.

C: Smelling each other’s butts !

H: We followed our noses...

JPG:  Is the music scene still thriving in Portland?

T: Currently music is illegal here but we're doing everything in our power to change that. Look what it's done for Colorado fer chrissake.

C: Fuck yeah ! Half of population in Portland is a musician or pretends to be!

H: The music scene in Portland over runneth....it's rich.  RRRIIIICCCCHHHHHH!

RYAN: (guitar/vocals): I'd say so. Lots of great bands, fun shows and parties.

JPG: What is the bands discography?

T: 3 45s and full length on the way.

C:  First 7” is on Danger Records (Paris). 2nd 7” is self released for our European tour in October 2013. We have a song on Portland Mutant Party 7” on Jonny Cat Records and we just recorded a new 7” for the same label. Working on the album now ! Hopefully out really soon !

H: A buncha rad shit....more to come!

JPG: Tell us about your mascot, Sung!

T: Sung is a worthless whore who gobbles the first pole she rolls into.

C: She likes to travel, making new friends and having her picture taken in weird places. Her modeling career is really taking off right now ! She is huge in Spain ! But she has a drinking problem unfortunately ...

H: She is such a princess....GAWD.  We love her fun loving ways!

R: She's shockingly good at foosball and can knock back more tequila than most heads I've met.

Tim

JPG:  What other bands have you been in?

T: Previous bands include The Angoras, The Epoxies, Perfect Look and currently The Suicide Notes.

C:  The No-Talents, Loud Mufflers, Cecilia & Ses Ennuis, Operation S, Die Sauerkrauts.

H: uh.....THE NEARLY DEADS, PIST'UNS, BRAINHOLE, JUANITA FAMILY AND FRIENDS and currently and the longest is THEE HEADLINERS (about 13+ years and counting!)

R: The Epoxies, Cecilia and The Sauerkrauts, The Procrastinators, The Rickets, The Weaklings, The Blackouts (no not that one), some other stuff...

JPG: What has been the craziest show Sex Crime has played so far?


T: Recently we played a zany humdinger here in Portland with The Briefs. Definitely up there with the best of um.

Cecilia

C: Definitely Funtastic Dracula festival that takes place in a UFO shaped discotheque from the 70’s and holds 1000 people. Opening up for the Briefs, was one of the wildest shows we played ! The Farfisa kept flying all over the place !!!

H: I think the Funtastic Dracula Carnival in Spain was definitely the funnest, kookiest party ever!!

R: Probably a tossup between a recent show in Portland w The Briefs and The Funtastic Dracula festival in Spain - the kids were getting pretty wacky...

JPG: How was your "Mission to Sun" tour in May?

T: We had a swell time, all the girls had their periods at the same time.

C: Killer !!!!!!!!!!!! So much fun with our buddies the Suicide Notes 

Holly

H: TOTALLY RADICAL!  Tourcation was a blast!!!  Killer shows, beach, buds, the best.  it was so great travelling with the SUICIDE NOTES, they rule!

R:  Awesome!

JPG: Where did you go? 

T: Los Angeles, San Pedro, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Eureka and my Moms house.

H: To your moms house and she was really nice.

JPG:  What is the significance of your black and red nail polish?

T: I don't wear that crap, it's for pussies!

C: Red flying elephant with a black velvet cape.

H: PURE EVIL

R: It was Tim's idea, but he's not telling.

Ryan

JPG:  Have you ever been convicted of a sex crime?

T: Never convicted, not yet!

C: Every day !!!

H: My motto is DON'T GET CAUGHT!  Also you should try everything you want to.  ALL OF IT.

R:  I almost had to register as a sex offender for peeing on a bush in bumfuck Ohio somewhere, but my record remains clean so far in that regard.

JPG:  Do you play any covers?

T: We don't play just any covers, just the really really good ones
C: There is "Goody Goody Bye Bye" by the Staff on our 1st 7”. We do cover Village People “synth punk” song "Food Fight" cause we think it’s hilarious. And also "N-N-N-N-Nervous" by The Skabbs (one of the most killer weirdo punk Californian band from the late 70’s) which will be on our new 7”.

H: The most awesome ones and most stupid ones we can find, Yes!

JPG: Who do you identify with as a band?

T: Lately I think it's more of a mid to late 70s sound...the very early stages of new wave..like a beefy Loggins and Messina.

C: The Twilight Zone.

H: I identify our stuff with the bat caver/new waver sounds I was into in high school (class of 1987, representing!)... Playing this kind of stuff makes me super happy and it's fun to be a punk!

JPG:  Tell us a story about your favorite Sex Crime song!

T: Recently I had to get up, shower and shave then go to work. I recently wrote a song about how much all those things suck...end of story.

C: The last song I wrote “I am an Observer” is a little story from Keith Richards “Life” book.

H: My fave song keeps rotating as we come up with new stuff.  Right now I just want to dive into the new stuff!  We have an album to put together....still coming up with junk.

Ryan making friends in LA

JPG:  What are you guys working on right now?

T: I'm working on my lats and my delts, I recently got calf injections and I wear booty pop underpants all the time. I'm working on being hot as hell, completely masturbateable. I'm also working on my ability to listen to others and respond to the needs of my friends and loved ones. And lastly, and I think I can speak for my fellow church going Sex Crimers, I'm constantly working on my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

C: An album, another European tour, but right now, mostly going to the river twice a week and managing to stay pale !